(meteorobs) Question

[Robert Lunsford]

I have seen a fair number of fireballs and I must be in the minority as very few have been green. What stands out to me about green fireballs is the very distinct color. The green fireballs I have seen are always vivid, much more so than with any other color. If I recall correctly, all of these green fireballs have appeared in the lower one-third of the sky, much closer to the horizon than the zenith. My main source of green fireballs has been the annual Geminid meteor shower. These meteors possess a medium velocity. I never recall seeing a swift, green meteor. Most of my swift meteors tend to be blue. My slower meteors tend to be orange and yellow. I have never seen a distinctly red meteor, red-orange is the closest.   

I recall viewing the Perseid meteor shower with veteran observer Felix Martinez back in the early 80's. A majority of the bright meteors he saw back then were green. To me, these meteors were nearly all white or slightly yellowish. Definitely not green to me!  So when two experienced observers see different colors in the same meteors, one has to wonder just how subjective this topic is...

Clear Skies!

Bob Lunsford